Wisps of Hope
by TwiAddictAnne
Summary: Hope is for the weak of heart; and yet, even the strongest of hearts yearns to hope … of a love that encompasses the soul. This is a story of such wisps of hope.
1. Chapter 1

**FAGE 10: Reborn**

 **Title: Wisps of Hope**

 **Written for: ForeverRobsessed**

 **Written By: TwiAddictAnne**

 **Rating: M**

 **Beta Reader: Ashmerlin**

 **Banner Maker: TwiAddictAnne**

 **Summary/Prompt used:**

 **1\. Describe a wedding from 3 different points of views**

 **2\. "I'm not the kind of girl boys fall in love with."**

 **3\. Dialogue Prompt: "Seven billion people in the world and you're overreacting because we killed one man." "But-" "Seven. Billion. People. Now quit the complaining and drink your smoothie."**

 **Disclaimer: Twilight Saga isn't mine, but this story and characters are sole property of Anne Publishing House.**

 **A/N: To my dear friend ForeverRobsessed: Kayla! Surprise! I was ecstatic that I got to write for you. I loved the prompts. Although I tweaked the last one just a bit, but I hope you'll like it anyway. Enjoy!**

 **To my other readers: Hi! No, I haven't forgotten you guys. I hope this makes up a little bit for pulling another Hudini on you.**

 **Last but not the least (I promise, this is the longest A/N of this fic), Ashmerlin, you are a gem, my friend. Thank you for holding my hand throughout this fic.**

* * *

 **Chapter-1: Prologue**

* * *

 _APOV_

As I pull the curtains aside and throw open my windows, bright beams of sunlight greets me, as if embracing me on my happiest day.

It is the happiest I ever remember feeling, albeit with a pang of disappointment. A voice at the back of my mind tells me that I am about to claim what doesn't belong to me. But I shut it off because I know I deserve this … it … _him_.

I look away from the window and allow my gaze to fall on the photograph resting on my mantle. It shows a couple hugging, smiling, seemingly in love.

 _Lies,_ the voice in my head rears its ugly head again. _He's never loved you, not really._

"Shut up! You don't know anything!" I yell at the voice.

"Angie?" My sister calls from the doorway. "Who are you talking to?"

"Nobody," I reply quickly, silently admonishing myself for losing my cool. "Good morning," I greet her brightly.

She offers me a smile that makes her eyes shine. She walks into my room and loops an arm through mine. "Good morning, sis. Are you ready to be the most beautiful bride?"

I smile up at her and give her hand a gentle squeeze. "Sure am."

She presses a kiss to my cheek and leads me off to get me prepared for my big day.

As I'm walking out of the room, I spare one more glance toward the photograph on my mantle. _You may not love me, but you respect me,_ my heart says to the man in the photograph. _For now that will have to be enough._

* * *

 **A/N: Buckle up, everyone. This ride is just taking off.**

 **Share your thoughts with me and leave a review.**

 **Thanks for reading.**

 **Love,**

 **Ann**


	2. Chapter-2: Always The Bridesmaid

**A/N: Read on!**

* * *

 **Chapter-2: Always the Bridesmaid**

* * *

 _BPOV_

 _This is the happiest I've ever felt,_ I try to tell myself, but my heart clenches with the knowledge that it's a lie. It's not that I'm not happy. I am over the moon with joy for my sister. Because she's one of the best human beings in the world and I feel like she deserves the best.

I know this. I have said those exact same words to myself countless of times. Why then is it not the happiest day of my life, you ask? Because today is the wedding day of my sweet little sister, Angela, where I, the thirty-year-old spinster, am about to play the role of the maid of honor; or as Felix, our good-for-nothing cousin calls me, _maiden_ of honor.

Yes, I know what you're about to say. Thirty is the new twenty. Thirty, flirty and thriving or whatever movie quote you might wanna spew out at me, I know. Believe me, I know. And honestly, I'm not that concerned about my biological clock ticking away like women in those regency era novels I love. It's not desperation talking, no, it's loneliness.

"Bella? Honey, can you pass me the hair clip?" the sound of my mother's voice snaps me out of my self pity and I find myself standing over my little sister, helping our mom to prepare her for her big day.

I lean down to pick up the ruby encrusted hair clip and gently place it on Angie's dark curls, mom sniffles from next to me.

"Mom?" Angie asks, looking at her through the mirror facing her. "Are you crying already?"

Mom doesn't answer aside from a slight shake of her head.

"Mom ..." I start, placing my hand on her shaking shoulder. "What is it?"

With a soft sob, mom allows her tears to fall, her hands clutching mine. "I can't believe my little girl is getting married today. I'm don't think I'm ready to be a mother-in-law yet," she wails. "Why couldn't you girls take a few more decades to grow older?"

Angela and I exchange a glance, both of us smiling at our adorably sweet mother. "Mom, It's not like I'll be leaving the nest empty," Angela tells her. "Bella will always be here with you." When mom nods, she adds jokingly, "And if you want, I can ask Ben to just call you Reneé instead of Mom."

I want to join in in their humor, but my mind gets stuck on Angela's earlier words. _Bella will always be here with you._ As if I'm going to be perpetually single, never having a family of my own.

 _Is that what the world sees when they see me? Always the bridesmaid and never the bride?_

* * *

 **A/N: Share your thoughts with me and leave a review.**

 **Thanks for reading.**

 **Love,**

 **Ann**


	3. Chapter-3: Enter Sandman

**A/N: Just a quick reminder: this story is a work of fiction which although based on our world, required quite a bit of literary freedom. That's all. Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter-3: Enter Sandman**

* * *

 _EPOV_

"Dude! For the last time, stop fidgeting!" I chastise my best friend and man of the hour, Ben Cheney, who seems to be incapable of keeping his hands unoccupied for some reason.

Ben takes in a gulp of breath and then slowly releases it, probably doing that yoga breathing stuff … again. "I'm just really nervous, man," he admits. "What if she doesn't want to marry me?"

For a moment, I just stare at him in disbelief and then ask slowly, "Did you ask her to marry you?"

"Yeah," he answers.

"And she said yes?"

"Yes, but ..."

"You put a ring on her finger, right?"

"Yes, although ..."

"And she let you? She didn't … I don't know … pull it off or throw it back at you, did she?"

His eyebrows pull together in confusion. "No, of course not."

"In that case, you pessimistic bastard, you better believe that she wants to marry you." I conclude. "Hell, judging by the furtive glances she was giving you when I met her, she's been dying to ride you like a bucking bronco since the time of eve."

"You're impossibly crass, Ed," he says, shoving me away, even though I can detect a hint of smile in his eyes. "So you really think Angela likes me?"

"Nah. She just wants you as her cabana boy on your honeymoon," I tease. "Where are you going for your honeymoon anyway?"

"Aruba," Ben replies with a wide smile. "Bella, Angela's sister, has arranged for it although my best man was supposed to do it."

I brush off his ribbing and ask instead, "Angela has a sister? I didn't know that. Why haven't I met her yet?"

"You would have if you bothered to show up to our engagement party, or to the rehearsal dinner last night."

I offer him an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, dude. I've been a sucky friend, haven't I? It's just my work, man. It's been taking up all my time."

Ben nods knowingly. "I understand, buddy. Now tell me, did you dig up something good this time?"

I snort. "Aside from digging through so much sand to garner a new nickname, nada."

"What's the new nickname?"

I sigh dramatically. "Sandman."

* * *

 **A/N: Share your thoughts with me and leave a review.**

 **Thanks for reading.**

 **Love,**

 **Ann**


	4. Chapter-4: First Look

**A/N: Time for some people to meet, don't you think?**

* * *

 **Chapter-4: First Look**

* * *

 _BPOV_

"Ms. Swan, the altar is ready," Charlotte, our event manager informs mom as we're putting finishing touches to Angela's hair.

"Thanks, Charlotte," Mom says before turning to me. "Honey, could you go down with Charlotte and take a look at it?"

"Sure," I say before following Charlotte out of the room and making my way toward the beach where Angela and Ben are to be married in a few short hours.

Just before walking out to the beach, I take off my shoes and allow my feet to sink into the sand a little. The moment the my feet touch the clear sand of our private beach, I feel my lips widen in a smile. Disregarding the high noon sun, I make my way down the beach and take in the stunningly decorated altar facing the ocean.

"It's going to be a beautiful ceremony," Charlotte tells me as I admire the way she has weaved garlands of flowers throughout the place. "I can't imagine anything more romantic than marrying the man of your dreams just as the sun is ready to sink beyond the horizon. Angela is a very lucky girl."

I smile at her words. "Indeed. They'll make the perfect couple." How could they not, with Angela inheriting our mother's beauty and Ben being a regarded as a scientific genius because of his high IQ?

"This place looks amazing, Charlotte," I tell her. "I'll be sure to recommend your services to my friends and family."

Charlotte smiles bashfully. "Thank you, Bella. I'd love to organize another wedding soon if you think of me when _you_ tie the knot."

"Oh. Um ..." I clear my throat and fake a smile. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to that."

Charlotte seems eager to pursue the subject more but thankfully, her cell phone starts ringing and she has to excuse herself to oversee the catering.

I look away from her retreating figure and let out a soft sigh as my gaze falls on the endless ocean before me. "I'm fine," I whisper to myself. "I'm going to be fine. I'm not alone. I have me. I can live by myself. I don't need anyone." With each self-assuring sentence, I try to sound firmer, more confident in myself. "I'm single and happy."

"And I'm mutant and proud," a voice whispers right next to my ear, causing me to almost jump out of my skin.

"What the …?" I start before turning around to find a man standing there, a very sexy man with an impish grin on his lips. "Who are you?" I demand, trying my hardest not to stare at the sliver of his chest visible through his open-necked shirt. "How did you get here? This is private property!"

He looks up at the sky, seemingly searching for something. "Hmm … I wonder where it went," he muses.

"Where what went?"

"The flying saucer that dropped me off to Earth," he answers with a straight face. "I'm sure it was here just now."

"What?" I ask, dumbfounded.

"You asked how I got here," he explains. "Through the front door sounds too boring. So I was trying to improvise."

"What?"

He looks at me with a questioning look in his eyes. "You're really fond of that word, aren't you? 'What?'"

"Wha-," I stop myself mid-word and glower at him. "If you don't tell me who you are then I'll be forced to call security."

He seems to consider my threat for a moment before shrugging. "Since I don't fancy a bunch of men tackling me, I'll give you my name," he says before holding out a hand to me. "I'm Edward Cullen."

I look at his proffered hand suspiciously, not recognizing the name. "That still doesn't tell me who you are."

He blinks. "I'm Edward Cullen, the best man," he explains, still holding his hand out.

I shake my head a little. "I didn't know Ben had a best man."

He sighs and lets his hand fall to his side, seemingly catching on to the fact that I wasn't keen on shaking his hand. "See, Miss ..." he starts, waiting for me to tell him my name.

"Swan," I offer.

His eyes widen. "You're Angela?"

Of course, who would remember the _other_ Swan girl? "No," I say, the word coming out sounding not too kind.

"Hmm." He furrows his eyebrows before shrugging and continuing. "Anyway, you see, usually at weddings, there's supposed to be a best man who also happens to be the groom's best friend."

" _You_ are Ben's best friend?" I ask because I couldn't comprehend two more different people. He was crass and loud and sort of sexy while Ben was the perfect example of boy next door.

He places a hand on his heart and bows his head. "Yes, Miss Swan, I am Ben Cheney's one and only best friend. Now may I have the honor of your introduction?" Sarcasm dripped from his voice and it pissed me off for some reason.

"Bella Swan," I respond, trying to contain my anger and start walking away from him.

"Wait ..." he calls out just as I'm passing by him. I try to turn to face him but because he's was turned to his side, our bodies collide and before I know it, I find my feet sinking into the sand. A small yelp escapes me. I blindly reach for something … anything to steady myself and a warm hand grasps mine.

I'm just about to let out a relieved breath when I hear Edward's voice say "Oh fuck!" and then I find myself flat on my back lying on the sandy beach.

"Oof!" I hear Edward say in a muffled voice. "We took quite a spill, huh? Luckily I was cushioned." As I look up to see him, I realize that he's lying right on top of me with his face smushed between my breasts. His breath hits my exposed cleavage and jolts me out of the funk I'm in. "Get off me, you perv!" I shriek as I grab a handful of his hair at the back of his head and tug.

He lets out a squeak and stands up and off me. He holds a hand out to help me to my feet and this time I take it. Once I'm back on my feet, I open my mouth to thank him but before I can do so, I feel his hand on my butt, brushing against it … repeatedly. "Oh my God! You're a pig!" I say, pushing him away.

He looks startled and then drops his hand. "I was just brushing off the sand ..."

"Of all the places to brush it off, you had to brush my ass, didn't you?" I snap.

"Because you fell on your ass! Not to mention you took me down with you!"

"And you just landed on me, didn't you?" I challenge. "Admit it you're a perv!"

He glares at me. "I admit. You're a crazy witch!" With that, he storms away from me, leaving me gaping at him like a fish out of water.

It isn't until I can breathe properly again that I realize that my cheeks got hotter when I thought about him. _I couldn't possibly be attracted to such a crass man, could I?_

* * *

 **A/N: Share your thoughts with me and leave a review.**

 **Thanks for reading.**

 **Love,**

 **Ann**


	5. Chapter-5: Here Come The Bride

**A/N: This is one of the most crucial chapters … one where the first prompt comes into play (I've used all three of them). Enjoy!**

* * *

 **Chapter-5: Here Comes The Bride**

* * *

 _BPOV_

By the time I'm leading the way for dad to walk Angela down the aisle, I've changed into my maid of honor gown and am genuinely happy for my sister's big day. Of course, mom's slight jab when dad went to collect us didn't go unnoticed. Mom just had to weep into a kleenex and say, "I never thought I'd see this day! Finally, one of my daughter's is getting married!"

 _As if I'm a centenarian instead of just touching thirty!_

The opening strings wagner's wedding march brings me out of my head and with a slight nod of Charlotte's head, I start walking down the aisle. As I'm walking, I hear murmurs of appreciation from the guests, everyone admiring how much of a beautiful bride my little sister makes. I feel my mouth stretch into a smile. _Angie does make the prettiest of brides,_ I think.

"So glad Aunt Reneé could at least see one of her daughters walk down the aisle," I hear Felix, my douche of a cousin say. "I reckon Angie asked her to be the maiden of honor as a pity because how else would poor Bells get to walk down the aisle?"

Instead of letting his words break me, I give him a withering glare and keep making my way to the altar. As I draw closer, I see Ben waiting anxiously for Angela there with a man standing next to him, his eyes trained on me.

Oh shit! If I thought Edward Cullen was sexy in a open collared shirt, he looks nothing short of handsome in a dark suit over silvery gray shirt. With the look in his eyes and the way he stands tall in his self-assured manner, I cannot help but compare him to one of my ideal literary boyfriends, Fitzwilliam Darcy. That is until he tilts his head a little to the side and lifts a challenging eyebrow at me, instantly reminding me of our little tumble down at the very spot I was standing. I narrow my eyes, trying to warn him to keep his mouth shut. And then he smiles. He's so not a Darcy, I tell myself before looking away from him. _He's more like the rake Mr. Wickham than my beloved Darcy_ , I decide.

The moment I reach the altar, I carefully step away from him and take my place on the other side of Ben, turning in time to see my dad place my sister's hand in Ben's.

I carefully let out a breath of relief. So far so good. And then, Angela speaks. "Ben, wait."

* * *

 _EPOV_

"Ben, wait." The moment the words escape Angela, my best friend's bride-to-be, I suck in a breath.

I'm not an expert in weddings but it can't be good if the bride stops the groom before approaching the Officiant, can it?

I chance a look at the maid of honor, the spitfire from before, Bella Swan, but she looks just as astounded by the turn of event as I. "What's this about?" she mouths at me.

I shrug and then a thought strikes me. "What did you do?" I mouth back. It must be her doing. Despite how mesmerizingly beautiful she looks now, she had acted like a shrew on our first meeting. So I wouldn't put it past her doing something like this.

She pulls a face and her cheeks turn a light shade of pink before she looks down at her feet. I slowly inch my way closer to her, waiting for her answer. A beat goes by before she looks up at me again. "I really didn't do anything," she whispers. "I would never want anything but happiness for them."

I open my mouth to respond when I catch the end of Angela's mumbled words directed to Ben. "... just because you feel responsible," she was saying.

It seems like Bella has caught the same tail-end of their conversation too because she takes a step toward the couple and asks, "Responsible for what?" She turns her eyes on Ben and asks again, "Responsible for what, Ben? What did you do to my sister?"

Ben, my poor introverted best friend opens and closes his mouth before starting to cough. _He's not getting bullied by the shrew,_ I decide. _Not on my watch._ Pushing my way in their circle of accusations, I glower at Bella Swan. "Now listen here, little lady, you can't throw accusations at my friend here ..." I start.

"Your friend must have done something to my sister ..." she argues, getting right into my face.

Then out of the blue, two voices speak up at the same time.

"I'm pregnant."

"I love her."

And just like that, every eye whirl away from us to the bride and groom.

* * *

 _APOV_

"I'm pregnant."

There. I've said the words out loud, making everyone quiet down. For a moment, I keep my eyes closed, waiting for the questions to begin. When they don't, I peek a glance and see that Bella's looking at Ben as if he's grown another arm or an extra pair of eyes.

"Damn right you love her! That's why you asked her to marry you, didn't you?" Bella pretty much growls, scowling so hard at Ben that if she even had a pinch of magical power, Ben would be a pile of ash at her feet by now.

That's when her words register in my mind. "Ben loves me?" I ask, dumbfounded, and trying my hardest to not hope. Ben lifts his head to look at me and gives me a shy smile. "I do, very much," he says.

"Whoa! Dude, you knocked her up? That's why you guys wanted to marry so fast?" Edward Cullen, Ben's rather obnoxious best man, exclaims.

"Exactly!" Bella jumps in. "So basically you lied to our dad when you said you wanted to marry Angela because you loved her?"

Before either Ben or I could get a word in, Edward whirls around and turns on Bella. "Now wait a minute here! Are you accusing Ben for acting like a responsible adult and not chickening out of this mess?"

"Huh! He ..." Bella starts.

"Shut it!" I yell over their bickering. "Both of you. Please, just shut up and let me talk to my fiancé for a minute."

A stunned silence falls over the place, and without waiting for someone else to start pointing fingers, I grab Ben's hand and pull him with me a little way away from the party. Once we're out of hearing range from anyone else, I stop and look at him. "You were saying?" I prompt.

"What?" He asks, seemingly clueless about the storm raging inside my heart.

"About you loving me," I remind him. "I thought you were just marrying me out of a sense of responsibility."

He sighs and swallows thickly before clearing his throat and starting to speak. "I prepared to confess my feelings to you when we were on our honeymoon, but I guess it has to be now." He looks up at me before quickly lowering his gaze. "I know our relationship started with a one-night stand gone wrong at a frat party at UCLA, and the moment you showed me the pregnancy test, it felt like the sky has fallen over my head or something like that … but Angela, every moment we spent afterwards with fearing the outcome of this and planning how to bring this baby up, they felt _right_. Every time you smile at me, it feels like the clouds have parted on a rainy day and the sun has come out. I don't know how it feels to be in love, but I think it must be something like that."

It takes a long moment before I can speak after he quiets down and when I can, I only manage to let out a breathed "Wow."

Ben must take it to mean the wrong kind of wow because he starts rambling again, "I know I'm not worthy of you, Angela, I mean you're gorgeous, and funny and so sophisticated, and I'm just so … plain. I ..." He looks at me and then pales. "Shit! I screwed up, didn't I? Please don't cry, Angela. You don't have to go through with this wedding if you don't want to. I'll take full responsibility of our baby no matter what."

Before he could ramble on, I grab the lapels of his suit, stand on the tips of my toes and press my lips to his. He doesn't respond for a second and then, he wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me closer to his chest, kissing me back eagerly.

It isn't until he places a hand on my cheek to wipe away the tears still remaining there that I let out lips part. "Me too," I breathe, unable to hold it anymore. "I thought you considered it all a mistake you must take responsibility for … I thought you thought I was a mistake."

"God no!" he replies, his minty breath fanning across my face. "You're the best thing that ever happened to me. I'm so glad I let my PhD partner talk me into crashing that party."

"Hey, lovebirds!" a voice calls, making us jump apart. "You're supposed to wait till after you say 'I do' before sucking faces."

We both blush, the words pulling us back to reality. As Edward and Bella make their way toward us, Ben takes my hand and squeezes.

When she reaches us, my sister places a hand on her hip in her no-nonsense manner and asks, "So just to be clear, you two are marrying for the right reasons, correct?" She waits till we both nod before asking again, "And you won't regret this?"

I could feel Ben's eyes on me as I smile. "Not a chance."

* * *

 **A/N: Share your thoughts with me and leave a review.**

 **Thanks for reading.**

 **Love,**

 **Ann**


	6. Chapter-6: The Wrong Kind

**Chapter-6: The Wrong Kind**

* * *

 _EPOV_

"I think he's gonna kill me," Ben mutters to me as he and Angela starts walking down the aisle as husband and wife. "Just watch the way he's glaring at me. I actually thought he'd protest on our getting married."

"Pfft," I say, grinning for the cameras. "So what if you knocked up his baby girl? You are giving the old man a grandchild. He'll be happy."

"You think so?" Ben asks hopefully.

"Yeah, I mean sure, you were about to make his daughter an unwedded mother, but you've manned up."

Before Ben could contemplate on my reasoning, the newlyweds reach the parents flanked by Bella and I to seek their blessings. The way Charlie Swan stares Ben down reminds me of a hungry lion locking in on his prey. Before poor Ben could pass out from the anxiety, Mrs. Swan seems to take charge of the situation. "Well, it was quite a ceremony," she remarks. "You guys have made a way too young grandmother out of me. I'm not ready to be that old."

Mr. Swan just lets out a sound that's a cross between a grumble and a roar, his eyes poking holes into Ben's skull. "Daddy ..." Angela starts, but he waves a hand in front of his face as if its nothing. Instead, he addresses Ben, "You truly love my daughter?"

"Of course," Ben responds.

"And you promise to never hurt her?"

"For as long as I live," he promises.

"Hmph," Charlie lets out a breath. "I guess welcome to the family then." He holds a hand out for Ben to shake and just then says in a low menacing voice, "Just remember before you hurt her, I own a gun collection and I am licensed to use them."

"Mom, Dad," Bella steps up before her father could actually threaten to castrate Ben. "Look on the bright side. You won't be so lonely with Angela leaving the house because of the baby!" She smiles widely, her cheeks glowing with happiness.

Her father makes another "Hmph" noise while her mother gives her an unimpressed look. "I guess we should be happy. It's not like we'd be getting any grandchildren from anyone but Angie."

 _What the …?_

I watch as the light dims in Bella's eyes and her mouth turns down in a frown. _How could any parent be so critical of their children?_ I start to speak, ready to let her have a piece of my mind, but Bella grasps my hand, her eyes pleading me to not butt in.

Thankfully Angela intercepts. "Can we get out of here? I'm famished!"

"Of course, honey!" Mrs. Swan hurriedly ushers the couple toward the exit to get them into the limo waiting for them.

"You okay?" I ask Bella once they're out of earshot.

"Yeah, I'm fabulous," she says with a dazzling smile, but this smile doesn't light up her eyes like before.

Without letting me get a chance to call her out on it, she hurries after her family, leaving me puzzling over her.

* * *

 _BPOV_

Once the toasts are done, I try to blend in with the crowd, ducking out of sight. I approach my place at the dinner table, thanking my luck for being in charge of setting the places so I could pick a seat far away from my mom's disapproving eyes.

"So I see we're sitting here," a voice pipes up from next to me.

I gasp and turn to find Edward Cullen pulling out the seat next to mine. "What are you doing here?"

He pulls his eyebrows together in apparent surprise. "Sitting down to dinner, I think."

"No," I protest. "You're supposed to sit upfront with Ben. This is Mr. ..." I squint to read the name on the place card "... Zolawnski's seat."

"Oh him? He died."

"What? How?"

He grabs the place card and rips it into pieces. "Like that."

"What …?"

He sighs. "Bella, there's seven billion people in the world and you're overreacting because we killed one man."

"But ..."

"Seven. Billion. People," he repeats, emphasizing each word. "Now quit complaining and drink your champagne."

"Seriously though ..." I try again.

He rolls his eyes and points to a portly Polish man sitting at the dais with Ben and Angela and the parents, looking slightly confused. "There you go. Mr. Zolawnski got bumped up to there so take a breather, woman."

I frown. "But how did that happen?" Then it clicks. "Did you exchange places with him?"

"Bingo!" He says. "So glad you finally caught on."

"Why?" I ask.

He shrugs. "Because I wanted to see what's so special about this table that you chose to sit here instead of with the rest of the bridal party."

I look away from him, my cheeks heating up in embarrassment. "It's too crowded there," I say lamely.

"Somehow I don't believe you," he responds. "Is it because of your mom? We get into fights with our parents all the time, but its no reason to pull away from them."

His words cut me deeper than I expect and I stand up from my seat, unable to face the reality anymore. "Don't try to talk about what you don't know." I move away from him and all the happy-go-lucky guests, trying to contain my tears.

On my way out of the banquet hall, I swipe a glass of champagne from a passing waiter and walk out to the adjacent gardens. Sitting down on one of the benches placed near a rosebush, I take a large sip of the bubbly liquid, hoping it will soothe my soul. When I put a hand on my cheek, it comes off wet.

I'm vaguely aware of the music trickling out of the reception area as I slowly drink the alcohol, trying to catch my breath until the moment when I tilt the glass and find it empty. "Damn it!" I curse, bending down to place the chute down on the soft grass at my feet. When I sit back up, a small silver flask appears before me, held by powerful looking calloused hands. I look up to see Edward looming over me, his hand holding out the flask.

"Drink," he says. "It'll make you feel better."

"What is it?" I ask, eyeing the flask suspiciously.

"Bourbon," he responds. "My friend when I'm out alone in the deserts on moonless nights."

A snort escapes me as I accept the flask from him. After taking a swig of the liquid, I ask, "Deserts? Why deserts?"

"It's my job," he answers.

Suddenly, I find myself very interested in this particular man, wanting to know him better. Why, you may ask? Because he seems to notice me even when I'm invisible to the rest of the world. So I decide to ask again, "What do you do?"

"Desecrate tombs and break ancient curses," he answers seriously.

"You're a tomb-raider? Like Lara Croft?" I ask, feeling light-headed from the alcohol.

He pulls a face. "Oh please! I'm not a thief. I'm an archaeologist." Then a mischievous smile slides onto his face. "I'm the real life Indiana Jones."

A surprised giggle bursts out of me. "Are you adept with a whip then?" I leer at him. It feels good to be smiling and not being judged.

He lifts an eyebrow questioningly at me. "Kinky, aren't you?" I shake my head violently and then stop immediately, the motion triggering a bout of nausea. I clap a hand over my mouth and wait for the feeling to pass. He must notice my discomfort because he places an arm around my shoulders, rubbing my arm in a circular motion. Instead of being weirded out by his behavior, I find it surprisingly comforting.

Once I'm sure I won't empty my stomach at his feet, I move my hand from my mouth and say, "I shouldn't like you."

"I thought you didn't."

"No!" I protest. "I do! But I shouldn't. You're not right for me. You're not filthy rich, are you?" I wait for him to shake his head at my question before continuing. "My mom wants me to marry someone filthy rich. She never let me date anyone because she thought I'd fall for the wrong man. Are you the wrong man?"

The corners of his mouth turns up slightly. "I think I might be."

"Damn it! And I liked you! I guess mom was right. I did go for the wrong man."

He tilts his head to the side and looks at me. "Why do you have to marry someone rich?"

I shake my head. "Not just rich, filthy rich."

"Why though?"

"So that I won't stake a claim on dad's inheritance and Angie will inherit it all, like the rightful heir," I say, ending with quoting my mom.

"Rightful heir? What do you mean …?"

I roll my eyes at him. _Men can be so slow!_ "Rightful heir, Edward. Their own daughter. They adopted me when I was a baby because Reneé thought she couldn't have kids, but then Angie came along and I became the burden."

"Oh!" He looks shocked, his arm falling away from me suddenly. For a long minute there's no sound aside from the pounding rhythm coming from the party. Then he reaches out tugs until I'm in his arms with my face buried in his chest. "That isn't your fault, Bella," he whispers. "You should be cherished ..."

His voice seems to dim as I inhale his scent deeply, feeling drunker than I should be. I place my arms around his neck and push away far enough to look into his face. "You're so wrong for me," I mumble, letting my fingers thread into the dawny hair at the back of his head. "But damn it! I've never wanted anything so much before ..." With those words I pull his face to mine and place my lips on his.

And then, the world goes dark.

* * *

 _APOV_

"Where is she?" I ask, looking around frantically. "Ben, I can't find her!"

Mom places a placating hand on my arm, stopping me from running out to the gardens. "She must be here somewhere," she says. "She obviously doesn't care that it's your wedding or she would be here to do her duties, not making a scene. You should leave for your honeymoon, sweetie."

I turn around sharply, my five feet seven inch figure towering over mom's smaller five feet three. "She would be here if you hadn't made it plainly obvious that you don't give a shit about her. She's my sister, mom, not a maid! You always treat her like she's a waste of space and yet she loves you."

Mom sniffles. "You don't know what you're saying," she says, possibly trying to justify her wrongdoings yet again. "It must be the pregnancy hormones. Bella is treated just fine for an orphan."

"Orphan?" I hiss under my breath. "You _adopted_ her! How can she be an orphan then? Wake up, mom. She's your daughter, not some gum that got stuck in your shoe. She got an MBA to be able to work at Dad's company, but you wouldn't let her go near the office because you think she'll steal money from us." She opens her mouth to protest, but I soldier on. "Don't try to deny it. I know you threatened dad that if he allows her near the company, you'll leave him."

She sticks her nose up in the air and says haughtily, "I didn't do anything wrong."

"You did everything wrong, mom," I reply, suddenly feeling the energy to argue with her drain out of me. "If you don't know that then you're living in denial and I feel sorry for you."

She gasps, but before she can say anything else, dad and Ben intervene, pulling us apart. I let Ben drag me away, my usually fierce mother looking pathetic in my eyes as she tries to justify her actions to my father.

"Ben, we need to find Bella," I tell my husband, focusing on what's important. "I don't know where she went."

Ben squeezes my hand. "I have an idea who she might be with. Come on." We walk toward the back of the hall where the large windows give a great view of the gardens bathed in moonlight. "There," Ben calls, pointing out to a bench where a couple sits with the woman's head resting on the guy's shoulder.

It takes me a second to realize that the woman is none other than Bella herself. I make a start for her but Ben stops me. "Look," he requests.

In the moonlit night, we watch as Edward, Ben's best friend, pushes the hair off my sister's forehead before pressing a kiss there.

Ben smiles at me. "Looks like she finally has someone to take care of her, don't you think?"

With an answering smile on my face, I nod. Finally it's time for my sister to be happy.

* * *

 **A/N: Share your thoughts with me and leave a review.**

 **Thanks for reading.**

 **Love,**

 **Ann**


	7. Chapter-7: A Whole New World

**Chapter-7: A Whole New World**

* * *

 _EPOV_

"Mmm," she moans next to my ear, making my already painful morning wood stand up straighter as if to salute the warm female body resting against mine. _Greedy bastard,_ I admonish it.

As if my punishment wasn't enough, she then proceeds to stretch, throwing one leg over my hip, practically spooning me. _Fuck. Me.!_ "Bella?" I call softly, needing her to move away before I did something very ungentlemanly. Nothing happens. Clearing my throat, I try again. "Um … Bella? Can you move?"

In a sleep-heavy voice she replies, "Don't want to. So warm." Then she lets her hand wrap around my torso, just a few inches above where I need her. That does it.

Jumping out of her arms, I yell, "Bella, get up!"

She winces and then slowly opens her eyes. With her lipstick rubbed off on the pillowcase and the remnants of mascara running down her cheek in a dried up teartrack make her look like a party animal; that is until my eyes fall on hers. With the slight dent on her forehead and the confused look on her face, she looks heart-wrenchingly innocent. Then her eyes seem to focus on me before zapping down to the bed and then down at her body. Her eyes widen, making me grin.

"Did you …?" she starts before amending the question. "Did we ..." I just wait for her silently, enjoying myself immensely. "Did _anything_ happen?"

"Define anything," I ask solemnly.

"Edward!" she chides. "We didn't … did we?"

"Well ..." I stop, wanting to tease her just a bit more. The pleading look in her eyes makes me sigh and speak the truth. "We didn't. I mean you totally came onto me, but I showed utmost self control. Besides you were passed out, and I'm not into necrophilia. In fact, I personally find Prince Phillip's eagerness to kiss a comatose chick very disturbing."

She lets out a sigh of relief, allowing herself to fall back on the bed momentarily before sitting up. "What happened at the wedding? God! I must have missed Angela's farewell. I should probably get home."

"Shh." I place a finger on her lips, silencing her. "Everything went smoothly. I talked to Ben to make sure that they were sent off to their honeymoon on time."

"But I … you … how did I get here?"

"Don't you worry, Rapunzel, I broke into the tower and whisked you away from there," I tell her. "You don't ever have to go back there."

She stares at me for a long moment and then laughs. "You're good," she says. "I admit I was wrong about you. You're not a Wickham."

"You thought I was Wickham the wicked?" I ask, pretending to be hurt. "Oh fair Bella! How you wound me!"

She laughs and then flinches back. "Don't make me laugh. I have a killer hangover."

"You did chug the entire content of my flask," I inform her and then point her toward the ensuite bathroom. "Why don't you freshen up? I'll find something to help you with the hangover. Anything in particular you wanna eat?"

She seems to think for a moment and then says, "Cheese. I want the unhealthiest food you can find full of cheese."

I offer her a bow. "Your wish is my command."

She's almost at the door to the bathroom when she calls, "Edward?"

"Yes, Bella?"

"I'm sorry about how I acted when we met yesterday. I was a little overwhelmed, I guess."

"Just a little, I think," I say with a wink.

She smiles shyly. "Thanks for not leaving me last night," she says before turning around and walking into the bathroom.

I remember the hauntingly sad look in her eyes last night and wish I could hold onto her forever so that she'd never feel left alone again.

* * *

By the time we're sitting facing each other on the balcony and horking down mega cheeseburgers from the room service menu, I feel like there's an understanding between us. We exchange teasing remarks and banter back and forth.

She asks about the risks of my job and in turn I ask her about her dreams. She tells me that even though she studied business to be of use to her father, her heart has always been on writing. She confides in me that she's found an internet writer's community and has submitted a manuscript to an editor just to gauge where she might be in the writer's pool.

I'm in the middle of pleading with her to let me read something of hers when my cell phone rings. Excusing myself, I answer the phone without looking at the caller id.

"Hello?"

"Edward, my boy!" Professor Denali's voice booms in my ear. "I've got great news for you."

"Prof.? What's up?" I ask, a small ball of dread forming at the pit of my stomach.

"The funding went through, Edward, the funding went through!" he informs me, sounding overjoyed.

Somehow, I can't find it in me to be just as overjoyed as him. My eyes go to Bella. _This can't be happening now!_ "That's great, Sir," I remark, trying my hardest to fake enthusiasm. "When do we leave?"

"In six days, this thursday," he answers, his excitement palpable. "I can't believe we'll finally be able to get this project rolling."

"Me neither."

"Now then, my boy, get packing and meet me in Chicago on Wednesday," he instructs before hanging up.

I stare at the phone in my hand after we hang up as if it's one of my worst enemies for pushing me away from Bella so fast. "Ahem." She clears her throat. "Where are you going?"

"Mexico. We've been trying to get a funding to explore these underwater caves that are thought to hold Mayan relics," I tell her. When she doesn't respond, I lift my eyes to look at her. She looks crestfallen … all traces of the smiles from just minutes ago gone from her eyes. "It's really not too far away from home."

"I see," she says as she reaches for a glass of orange juice. After drinking half of it in one gulp, she places it back on the table between us. "I should get home. My parents must be worried."

 _No!_ Without thinking, I grab one of her hands."Bella, I leave in five days."

"Yeah, I'm happy for you." She looks anything but though. Instead of pointing it out, I decide to take a chance. "Give me five days."

"What?"

"The next five days … spend them with me," I request her. "Please … I want to get to know you better."

"But you're leaving ..."

"Not forever," I counter. "Please, Bella, I feel like we have a connection worth exploring. Please tell me I'm not insane and you feel it too."

She lifts her chin, a defiant look on her face. "So what if I feel it? You'll leave anyway."

"I will, but only so that I can come back to you," I say. "Can you honestly say you'll never regret not giving us a chance for even one moment for the rest of your life?"

She closes her eyes and sighs. "Edward, I … I'm not the kind of girl boys fall in love with. You'll get bored and leave."

I shake my head. "I doubt it. Besides, I'm not a boy, Bella, I'm a man, and I want a chance to prove you wrong. Tell me you'll give us a chance."

She opens her eyes and looks at me intently as if making up her mind and then, without any preamble, she gets off her seat, walks around the table to come stand next to me. Leaning down, she presses her lips to mine, letting me taste the OJ on her lips, and trust me, people, OJ has never tasted so good.

* * *

 _BPOV_

I don't know why I do it, I don't know why it feels like Edward's different from any other man I've ever met, but I decide to stay … to give him five days. And once I've made up my mind, those five days turn into the best five days of my life.

Instead of drowning in my depressive life, I find myself smiling and laughing with him. We go shopping for his expedition, we spend hours soaking up the sun at the beach and then at night, after having dinner at quaint diners, we fall asleep reading to each other, our arms wrapped around each other. For once in my life I don't care about what my parents will think. With him by my side, I venture out of my comfort zone and start job hunting by setting up my profiles in job searching websites because the only way I won't have to depend on my parents anymore is by getting a job and getting a place of my own.

And thus, for the first time in my life, I start feeling alive.

However, the worst thing about time is it flies by when you're enjoying life. Just like it started, our blissful time comes to an end. I don't cry on the way to the airport as we drive there. I don't ask him to not go when he pulls me to his chest and kisses me, promising me that he'll be back before I know it. The only thing I do is hope.

I hope that he'll come back.

I hope that this fluttery feeling in my stomach when I see him is what poets call love.

I hope that he feels the same.

I hope that when he gets back, I won't be alone anymore.

* * *

 **A/N: One more chapter to go.**

 **Share your thoughts with me and leave a review.**

 **Thanks for reading.**

 **Love,**

 **Ann**


	8. Chapter-8: Epilogue

**Chapter-8: Epilogue**

* * *

 _EPOV_

 _Hi you._

 _You won't believe what happened! I received a call from Tanya, my editor friend, and guess what? She forwarded my manuscript to a publisher and they love it! Tanya says after straightening out the contract, we can go for publishing it. Can you believe it? Me, a published author! This feels surreal._

 _How are you? I can't tell you how much I miss you. I wish Eleazar would find something worth his while so that you can come back to me. I have so much to tell you. More than anything though, I miss you. Come back home to me._

 _Oh and Edward?_

 _I love you._

 _Yours,_

 _Bella._

I read and reread her last e-mail as I wait for my plane to land. I can't help the goofy smile that threatens to break my face in two. It's been six months since I last kissed my girl, felt her hands clutching me to her as I made love to her, since I left her to go hunt down Mayan Relics with Eleazar.

My professor leans over, peering at me over his glasses. "What's got you so ecstatic, son?" he asks and then notices the e-mail opened on my laptop screen. "What did Bella say?"

I can't contain my smile as I reply, "That she loves me."

"Of course she does. A blind man could see that," he remarks. "Remember the time she threatened to chop me up into little pieces and shove them into a Mayan pot because I made you dive underwater even though you had a cold?" He shudders at the memory, making me guffaw at the fierceness of my girl.

In the last six months, Bella has changed a lot. After I left, she had confronted her parents and moved away from them to start her life afresh. She still talks to them, but her life is only hers to control now.

Angela and Ben are expecting a baby boy in a few weeks time. And Bella and I can't wait to meet our new nephew. Knowing my girl, that little boy will be spoiled with love.

As for me? The simple connection I felt to the girl I met at my best friend's wedding turned into like and then evolved into love naturally. Before I had left, I had written to my sister and only family, Alice, telling her about Bella. And of course the little troublemaker hunted her down and befriended her, all without letting me get an inkling. Imagine my surprise when I received a photo from Alice with her and Bella standing arm-in-arm with the goofiest of grins plastered on their faces!

Just as the announcement comes on to prepare us for landing, I close my laptop and buckle up, ready to get back to my Bella.

* * *

 _BPOV_

"Waiting for a loved one?" an elderly woman asks me as I look at my watch for the upteenth time.

I blush and then nod. "My boyfriend," I answer, the heat rising to my cheeks as I think of Edward in those terms.

"Long distance love?" she inquires.

I shake my head. "He was out of country for his work for six months."

She nods understandingly. "Love can be hard to bear at times."

"But it still is the best feeling in the world," I can't help but say.

She chuckles. "True. I'm here to see my ex-husband. We've been divorced for years, but he's still the only man I can love. Nasty old bugger."

The affection clearly visible on her face breaks my heart. "Why did you get divorced then?"

She shrugs. "We're too similar, both stubborn and unmoving. We couldn't compromise. So it felt right to separate."

"Does he know you're here to see him?"

"No," she says wistfully. "If I tell him, he'll feel obligated to return my feelings. I want his love, dear, not pity."

I nod, understanding where she's coming from. For years, I had wished that my mother would love me, but all I ever got was pity. And just when I was about to give up any hope of ever being loved, Edward came into my life, sweeping me off my feet and breaking me out of my shell. Edward had taught me to love and in return, I have fallen hopelessly and completely in love with him.

"Well, I should go," the woman tells me, putting on a dark pair of sunglasses. "It was nice talking to you, dear."

I hold a hand out for her to shake. "I'm Bella."

"Carmen," she answers and then with a parting wave, she leaves, pushing through the crowds.

"Bella! Bella!"

Just the sound of his voice calling my name makes me whirl around. I watch his telltale copper colored hair as he rushes forward to meet me. And then it happens. The dam I had built inside my heart to hold off my tears when he left breaks, and I manage to let out a sob before I'm engulfed in his arms, his lips pressing on my forehead again and again.

"You're here! You're here! You're really here!" is all I can say.

I feel him shake against me as he presses me closer to him. "I'm back, baby. I came back to you. I'll always come back to you."

"Let me look at my girlfriend for a moment," he says as he pulls my head away from his chest. He stares at me what feels like an eternity before lowering his head and meeting my lips with his. "Fuck! I love you," he says against my lips as I grip his jacket in a deathgrip, feeling like my heart is finally whole.

The sound of a throat clearing breaks our tiny little bubble of two and we sprang apart. I see a man with silvery hair standing behind Edward with a hand half raised in a wave. "Hi," he says, approaching me. "Eleazar Denali, the old fart you wanted to cut into precise little pieces to shove into a Mayan pottery."

I feel my whole face heat up in embarrassment. "I'm so sorry ..." I start but he waves me off.

"It's no big deal," he tells me, looking around as if searching for someone. After searching for a few minutes, he sighs, his shoulders dropping in resignation. "Guess I was mistaken," he mutters.

"About what, Prof?" Edward asks.

He smiles ruefully. "I thought my ex-wife would come to see me here. I made sure she knew the date of my arrival. Guess I was mistaken."

"Your ex?" I can't help but ask.

"Carmen."

I cannot contain my gasp as it all registers in my mind. "But she was here!" I blurt out. "She did come to see you, but then left before you could see her."

His face brightens and he laughs. "That's a relief then." When we notices our quizzical expressions, he explains, "There's still hope for us to reconcile, you see? Now that I know she loves me, I'm going to fight for us."

"You go, Prof!" Edward cheers. "Taking a chance on hope pays off."

"It sure does," I agree, entwining my fingers with his.

* * *

 **A/N: And that's a wrap!**

 **Kayla, I hope I did your prompts justice.**

 **Share your thoughts with me and leave a review.**

 **Thanks for reading.**

 **Love,**

 **Ann**


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